Animated wildfowl decoy



ANIMATED WILDFOWL DECOY Filed July 15, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGI PAUL E. MILLER INVENTOR ATTORNEY y 3, 1956 P. E. MILLER 2,752,715

ANIMATED WILDF'OWL DECOY Filed July 15, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

PAUL E. MILLER INVENTOR ATTORNE y 3, 1956 P. E. MILLER 2,752,715

ANIMATED WILDFOWL DECOY Filed July 15, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

FIG. 7

PAUL E. MILLER INVENTOR ATTORNEY limited States :Patent 2,752,715 ANIMATED WILDFOWL DECOY Paul E. Miller, Richmond, Va. Application July 15, 1954, Serial N 0. 443,528 6 Claims. (Cl. 43-3) This invention relates to an improved fowl decoy adapted to consecutively assume a partially erect position and raise its wings forward and upward in an accurate simulation of a fowl flapping its wings to stretch them or to shake the water oil them after having landed on the water. Essentially this decoy comprises a body tiltably mounted on a base and having a pair of wing members pivotably connected thereto, with means to first tilt the body to raise its head and then sweep the wing members forward and upward.

One object of the invention is to provide a decoy comprising a tiltably mounted body having the appearance of a fowl and having thereon movable wings.

Another object of the invention is to provide remote, manually controllable means for actuating the body and the wings.

A preferred form of such means comprises substantially inelastic wing pull means attached to wing actuating lever means and elastic body pull means attached to the body. Such inelastic wing pull means can be made of fine cord or wire. The elastic body pull means prefera cord or wire having a spring member of rubber or coiled metal or other suitable material connected thereto. In one embodiment of the invention the elastic body pull means is shorter in length than the inelastic wing pull means, and they both extend back to and are joined at a point outside and to the rear of the body, so that there is an appreciable amount of slack in the wing pull means.

An advantageous embodiment of this invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side View of a duck decoy constructed according to this invention and shown resting in its natural, substantially horizontal position;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the decoy of Fig. l in a position simulating a fowl shaking water oif its wings after alighting;

Fig. 3 is plan of the decoy of Fig. l in rest position;

Fig. 4 is an elevation from the front of the decoy of Fig. l in a position simulating a fowl shaking water off its wings after alighting.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the center of the decoy in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through the decoy on a line 66 as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating multiple operation of the decoy; and

Fig. 8 is a detailed view of the hinge structure connecting the wings to the decoy body, with a part of the wing and body broken oif.

'In the drawings the body 6 of the decoy is partly hollow, is open at its bottom and has a circular opening 7 on each side.

is mounted upon a water buoyant base 8 with raised sides 9. The base 8, of wood or metal, acts as a float to support the Patented July 3, 1956 nice A pair of wing members 16 are pivotably attached to opposite sides of each hinge i7, is positioned on a bias, to the longitudinal axis of the body 6, so as to cause the wing members 16 to simultaneously sweep both forward and upward and then back, rather than just up and down or forward and backward. Since the joint 20 of each hinge lies on a bias along the edge of one opening of the pair of corresponding openings 7 adjacent to the neck of the body 6, and since the leaf 19 is attached to each wing member at its upper, f rward edge, the wing members may be pivoted about such hinge joints 20 with the characteristic flapping motion of Wildfowl.

near to the outer edge of the leaf and is outside the body, extends down through the body opening 7 and forward into the hollow interior of the body.

3 the small guide bracket 24 which is mounted under the tail of the body.

A body cord 25 is attached to a fastener 26 embedded in the upper, inner side of the wall of the hollow decoy body above and slightly forward of the pivot rod 1!). A spring 27 of elastic construction, preferably a rubber band, is connected to the body cord 25 and extends back to a junction point 28 outside and to the rear of body 6 where it is attached to the wing cords 23. The combined length of the body cord 25 and the unextended spring 27 is substantially less than the length of each wing cord from its point of attachment to one of the two wing-operating lever arms '21 back to the junction point 28. Therefore, there is considerable slack in the pair of wing cords 23. A master cord 29 is attached to the body and wing cords at their junction point 2% and extends back to the hunter in his blind or other place of concealment.

The buoyant base 8 is furnished wih a keel 30 attached to and extending down from its bottom. This may be a piece of pipe weighted at its lower end and removable to facilitate transportation. Also, at each end of the base 8 a staple 31 is attached for the securing of an anchor weight. Whether one anchor or two should be used will depend on the condition of wind and tide.

The operation of this decoy is quite simple. The decoy is shown in a resting position in Figs. 1 and 3 and in a position simulating that of a fowl shaking water from its wings after landing in Figs. 2 and 4. The master cord 29, which extends to the hunter in his place of concealment, is pulled, thereby placing the spring 27 and the body cord 25 under tension, and causing the body 6 of the decoy to tilt backwards about the pivot rod 10. Thus, the decoy assumes the partially erect position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Further tension from pull on the master cord 29 further stretches the spring 27 and the resulting elongation takes up the slack in the two wing cords 23. These cords, in turn, pull the lever arms 21 back and cause the wing members 16 to rise forward and upward as they pivot about the joints of the hinges 17.

It should be noted that while the hinges 17 are so positioned that gravity will ordinarily cause the wing members 16 to fall back against the body 6 when the tension on the master cord 29 is slackened, a strong wind from the rear of the decoy may retard the natural tendency of the wing members to fall back in place. This may be corrected by extending a spring of elastic material such as rubber, between the wing members through the hollow body of the decoy so as to pull them back in place.

Such a rubber spring member 32 is shown secured between a pair of staples 33, one of which is attached to each of the pair of wing members 16.

Thus, slight slackening of the tension on the master cord 29 allows the wing members 16 to drop back in place. However, the spring 27 will still be under tension and will hold the body 6 of the decoy in a partially erect position. In this manner the wing members 16 may be repeatedly flapped, with a forward and backward sweep, by alternately increasing and easing the tension on the master cord 29. After suffici'ent flapping of the wings, the master cord 28 is released and the decoy naturally assumes .its former substantially horizontal rest position. In this fashion, the decoy simulates the natural actions of wild geese and ducks who frequently lift themselves somewhat above the water into a partially erect position and sweep their wings back and forth to shake water off them or stretch them. This lifting and sweeping action is a particular advantage of the preferred form of the decoy of this invention, for previous types of animated decoys merely raise and lower the wings.

This improved decoy has proven extremely satisfactory for attracting wild ducks and other water fowl under a variety of actual hunting conditions. It can be used with ease and requires .a minimum of attention from the hunter. It is particularly well adapted for use in tidal waters where their is a substantial rise and fall in the tidal levels. Under such circumstances, a float supported decoy, such as the instant one, has been found to have a much more natural appearance and to require no adjustment in comparison to a stake (or other mount fastened in the ground) supported decoy that does not rise and fall with the tide.

Furthermore, two or more of the decoys of this invention may be operated together to simulate the presence of a raft (or the beginning thereof) of ducks. Such multiple operation is advantageously accomplished by attaching the master cords or wires from a number of the decoys to a single cord or wire which leads back to the blind or other p ceof concealment of the hunter. Regulated tugging on the single wire or cord will then operate all of the decoys. Preferably, the attachment of the master cords or wires should be through slip rings which allow the decoys to assume natural positions under the influence of wind and tide. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the master cords 29 from a pair of decoys may be joined, a ring 34 placed on the joined cords so as to slip freely therealong, and a single wire or cord 35 attached .to the ring and led back to the blind.

While the best known forms of this invention have been illustrated in the drawings and described herein, it is to be understood that such is merely by way of example and that other forms may be designed within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A fowl decoy adapted to consecutively assume a partially erect position and flap its wings comprising a body in the shape of a fowl, a pair of wing members each pivota'lly connected to said body, lever means attached to said wing members and adapted to raise them forward and upward in a sweeping motion, substantially inelastic wing pull means attached to said lever means, a water buoyant base upon which said body is tiltably mounted, and elastic body pull means attached to said body, said elastic body pull means being shorter in length than said wing pull means whereby said wing pull means is adapted to be slack relative to said elastic body pull means, said elastic body pull means and said wing pull means extending back to and being joined at a point rearward of said body, whereby when said pull means are pulled at said point said elastic body pull means will cause said body to tilt and raise its head and will stretch to take up slack in said wing pull means which will then by further pulling cause said wing members to sweep forward and upward.

2. A fowl decoy adapted to consecutively assume a partially erect position and flap its wings comprising a body in the shape of a fowl, a pair ofwing members each pivotally connected at its upper forward edge to said body, lever means attached to said wing members and adapted to raise them forward and upward in a sweeping motion, substantially inelastic wing pull means attached to said levermeans, a water buoyant base upon which said body is tiltably mounted along an axis which is at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said body and just behind the longitudinal center of gravity of said body, said body naturally assuming a substantially horizontal position, and elastic body pull means attached to said body, said elastic body pull means being shorter in length than said wing pull means whereby said wing pull means is adapted to be slack relative to said elastic body pull means, said body pull means and said wing pull means extending back to and being joined at a point rearward of said body, whereby when said pull means are pulled at said point said body pull means will cause said body to tilt and raise its head and will stretch to take up slack in said wing pull means which will then by further pulling cause said wing members to sweep forward and upward.

3. A fowl decoy adapted to consecutively assume a partially erect position and flap its wings comprising a hollow body in the shape of a fowl, a pair of wing members, each wing member being disposed along one side of said body and being pivotally connected at its upper forward edge to said body at a position adjacent to its neck, said body having a pair of openings therein, each of which is adjacent to each said wing attaching position, a pair of lever arms, each of which is attached to one of said wing members and having a portion extending through one of said openings into the hollow interior of said body, substantially inelastic wing pull means attached to each lever arm at a position spaced from its attachment to each wing member and extending to the rear of and outside of said body, a water buoyant base with raised sides adapted to floatably support said body and wing members, a pivot rod extending rotatably through said raised sides of said base and through said body along a horizontal line just behind the longitudinal center of gravity of said body, and an elastic member connected at one of its two ends to said body at a position above said pivot rod and at its other end to said inelastic wing pull means at a point on said wing pull means outside of said body, said wing pull means being adapted to be slack until said elastic member has been stretched, whereby when said elastic member and wing pull means are pulled at their point of connection said elastic member will cause said body to tilt and raise its head and will stretch to take up the slack in said wing pull means which will then by further pulling cause said wing members to sweep forward and upward.

4. A fowl decoy adapted to consecutively assume a partially erect position and flap its wings comprising a hollow body in the shape of a fowl, a pair of wing members, each member being disposed along one side of said body, a pair of hinges, each hinge being positioned on a bias relative to the horizontal axis of the body and being connected between the upper forward edge of one of said wing members and said body at a position adjacent to its neck, said body having a pair of openings therein each of which is adjacent to one of said hinges, a pair of lever arms each of which is attached to the leaf of one of said hinges that is connected to one of said wing members and having a portion extending through one of said openings forwardly into the hollow interior of said body, a substantially inelastic cord attached to the end of each lever arm inside the body and extending to the rear of and outside said body, a water buoyant base with raised sides adapted to floatably support said body and wing members, a pivot rod extending rotatably through said raised sides of said base and through the lower portion of said body along a horizontal line which is at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said body and just behind the longitudinal center of gravity of said body, said body pivoting about said rod and naturally assuming a substantially horizontal position, and a spring member connected at one of its two ends to said body at a position above said rod and at its other end to said inelastic cord at a point on said inelastic cord outside said body said inelastic cord being adapted to be slack until said spring member has been stretched, whereby when said inelastic cord and spring are pulled at their point of connection said spring will cause said body to tilt and raise its head and will stretch to take up the slack in said inelastic cord which will then by further pulling cause said wing members to sweep forward and upward.

5. A fowl decoy adapted to consecutively assume a partially erect position and flap its wings comprising a tiltably mounted decoy body, a pair of wing members each pivotally connected to said body, lever means connected to said wing members, substantially inelastic wing pull means attached to said lever means, and elastic body pull means attached to said body, said wing pull means being joined to and slack relative to said body pull means, whereby when said pull means are pulled said body pull means will first cause said body to tilt and will then stretch to take up the slack in said wing pull means which will then by further pulling cause said wing members to be fiapped by said lever means.

6. A fowl decoy adapted to consecutively assume a partially erect position and flap its wing comprising a tiltably mounted decoy body, a pair of wing members, a pair of hinges each connecting one of said wing members to said body, the axis of each hinge being positioned on a bias relative to the horizontal axis of the body, lever means attached to said hinges, substantially inelastic wing pull means attached to said lever means, and elastic body pull means attached to said body, said wing pull means being joined to and slack relative to said body pull means, whereby when said pull means are pulled said body pull means will first cause said body to tilt and will then stretch to take up the slack in said wing pull means which will then by further pulling cause said wing members to sweep forward and upward.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 378,410 Trimble Feb. 21, 1888 1,390,816 Ruehl Sept. 13, 1921 1,831,286 Chelini Nov. 10, 1931 2,663,108 Dixon et al Dec. 22, 1953 2,691,233 Richardson Oct. 12, 1954 

